Notes on the life history of Taenaris artemis (Snellen van Vollenhoven) (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) in Australia and the rediscovery of T. a. queenslandica Rothschild

2 Pages·1991·0.7 MB·

by  S J Johnson

Aust. ent. Mag. 18 (2) Jun 1991 85
NOTES ON THE LIFE HISTORY OF TAENARIS ARTEMIS
(SNELLEN VAN VOLLENHOVEN) (LEPIDOPTERA:
NYMPHALIDAE) IN AUSTRALIA AND THE REDISCOVERY OF
T. A. QUEENSLANDICA ROTHSCHILD
S.J. JOHNSON! and I.R. JOHNSON?
! P.O, Box 1085, Townsville, Qld, 4810
2 26 Brodie Street, Holland Park, Qld, 4121
Abstract
Descriptions are given of the mature larva and pupa of Taenaris artemis jamesi Butler
from Torres Strait and a further specimen of 7. a. queenslandica Rothschild is recorded
from Cape York. The host plant is identified.
Introduction
Taenaris artemis is known with certainty to occur within Australian
limits, as the subspecies 7. a. jamesi Butler, on Darnley and Murray
Islands in Torres Strait (Common and Waterhouse, 1981; Wood,
1987). A single male labelled North Queensland was described by
Rothschild (1916) as T. a. queenslandica; however, no further
specimens have been taken on mainland Australia and the record has
been regarded as doubtful. The life history of T. artemis in Australia
was previously unknown.
In April 1989 a single larva was taken on Murray Island and reared in
Townsville and in June 1990 a specimen was taken flying in rainforest
near Lockerbie, near the tip of Cape York Peninsula.
Notes
Taenaris artemis jamesi
Food plant. Pandanus sp. (Pandanaceae).
Final instar larva (Fig. 1). Head orange, sparsely covered in long pale
hairs and dorsally bearing a pair of stout black horns each tipped with
a rosette of 5 pale spines surrounding a single central spine.
Mandibles and genal patch overlying ocelli, black. Body pale orange,
each segment with a raised central band densely covered in fine white
secondary hairs and dorsolateral tufts of strong dark brown bristles.
Dorsal line black on raised bands interrupted by paler areas at
intersegmental regions. Dorsolateral lines white with irregular dark
edging on posterior segments. Lateral stripes broad and pale yellow.
Ventrolateral line orange edged black on thoracic segments. Anal
plate rounded, orange and bearing numerous hairs. Length 55 mm
and width 7.5 mm.
Pupa (Fig. 2). Smooth, pale green, with a pair of short anterior
projections; abdominal spiracles pale whitish-yellow and basal
cremaster black. Length 27 mm and width 12 mm. Pupal duration
12 days.
T. a. queenslandica
A single female was taken flying in rainforest 5 km north-east of
86 Aust. ent. Mag. 18 (2) Jun 1991
Figs 1 and 2. Taenaris artemis jamesi: (1) Mature larvae; (2) Pupa.
Lockerbie on 8 June 1990. The size of the ocelli and the extent of the
grey areas on the wings are both within the variation in these
characters present on specimens of 7. a. jamesi taken by the authors
on Murray Island. Although this supports the contention of Howarth
(see Common and Waterhouse 1981) that 7. a. queenslandica is a
synonym of 7. a. jamesi, any firm conclusion should await the
collection of additional specimens from mainland Australia. Although
a search of the area failed to locate further specimens it did reveal
extensive Pandanus spp. swamps within the rainforest. This suggests
that 7. artemis is established in the area and that the previous record
was valid. Collecting during the wetter months may be more likely to
provide further specimens.
References
COMMON, I.F.B. and WATERHOUSE, D.F. 1981. Butterflies of Australia. Pp. xiv
+ 682. Angus and Robertson, Sydney.
ROTHSCHILD, W. 1916. Notes on Amathusiidae, Brassolidae, Morphidae, etc., with
descriptions of new forms. Novitates Zoologicae 23: 299-318.
WOOD, G.A. 1987. The butterflies of Murray Island, Torres Strait, Queensland.
Australian Entomological Magazine 14: 39-42.